Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 28:31

All the violent acts that will be inflicted on the Israelites are clearly stated and should offer no problems for the translator.

The singular general terms your ox … your ass … your sheep are better translated as plurals: “your cattle, your donkeys, and your flocks [of sheep].” We should not think, as New International Version seems to suggest, that the text is talking about the one and only ox, and one donkey (but many sheep!). The Hebrew word translated sheep applies both to sheep and goats; but most translations have only “sheep.” For ox, ass, and sheep see 5.14.

Before your eyes … before your face: that is, “in your presence,” “as you look on.”

Shall be given to your enemies: by strict grammatical rules, this says in English that someone other than your enemies will take possession of the sheep and give them to the enemies; it seems more likely, however, that this is simply a way of saying that the enemies will take away the sheep.

There shall be no one to help you: as in verse 29. The Hebrew is simply “and none to you [singular] a helper.” Some translations take this to refer to the sheep, “to rescue them” (so New International Version, Revised English Bible). It seems better, however, to translate as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have done.

An alternative translation model in languages that do not use the passive is the following:

• They shall kill your cattle as you watch, but you will not eat any of the meat. As you are watching they will drag away your donkeys and will not return them to you. Your enemies will steal your sheep, and there will be no one to help you.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 29:2

Moses summoned all Israel: Moses called all the people to gather to listen to him. In Deuteronomy statements like this typically indicate the opening of a new discourse or speech.

And said: at this point Moses is clearly identified as the speaker. But whether Yahweh or Moses is speaking needs to be kept quite clear as the chapter progresses.

You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes: this means “You saw all the things that Yahweh did in your presence” or “… as you were watching.” In some languages this will be rendered as “You saw with your own eyes all the things that the LORD did…,” while in other languages we may simply say “You saw the LORD perform all…,” as the phrase before your eyes repeats the information already given in the clause you have seen. As a matter of fact, most of the Israelites standing in front of Moses hadn’t really seen all these things, but Moses is including them with their parents (see also 4.34, where Moses uses the inclusive pronoun “we”).

Pharaoh: this is a title, not a name; however, in 7.8 and 11.3 it appears as a proper name (so Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version there).

His servants: this means his officials, especially the court officers.

All his land: not simply the country as such, but all the people of Egypt. So Contemporary English Version has “everyone else in the country.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 30:6

Here Moses is talking about the people present with him there in the plains of Moab.

Will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring: circumcision was the sign of belonging to the people of Yahweh, the people of the covenant; an uncircumcised man was, by definition, a Gentile, a pagan. In effect this clause means that God will make these stubborn and disobedient Israelites his obedient people once more (see 10.16; Jer 4.4). Contemporary English Version begins the verse with the statement “You and your descendants are stubborn, but the LORD will make you willing to obey him.” We may also say “but the LORD will make your hearts and the hearts of your descendants obedient to him.”

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul: see 6.5.

That you may live: this might be quite literally true; but primarily it means to have a long and prosperous existence as a nation in the land of Canaan. So Good News Translation has “and you will continue to live in that land.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 31:25 - 31:26

The Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: see verse 9; 10.8.

Put it by the side of the ark: the ark or “sacred box” itself was in the Most Holy Place in the “tent of meeting,” which was separated by a curtain from the larger Holy Place (Exo 26.33-34; 40.16-21). While this book was to be placed by the side of the ark, the two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark (10.2, 5; Exo 40.20).

A witness against you: as it stands in Hebrew and translated literally in Revised Standard Version, Moses is talking to the Levites, and what he says in verses 26-27 and 29 is directed at them. But this seems hard to believe. Moses is speaking about all the Israelites, as Yahweh had done in verses 16-22. Good News Translation makes the appropriate changes by having at the end of verse 26 “… as a witness against his people,” then using the third plural in verse 27 and introducing “the people” as the subject in verse 29. Bible en français courant and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje do the same, and translators may wish to follow their example. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has done it differently by adding at the end of verse 26, after the closing quotation marks of Moses’ statement, the following words: “And turning to the people, he went on to say, ….” This is also a good model. In any case it should be clear that the denunciations in verses 26-27 and 29 are directed not only at the Levites but at all the Israelites.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 32:30

The Israelites had been defeated in war by an enemy army much smaller than theirs; so the ironic question points out that this incredible defeat—one enemy soldier routing a thousand Israelites—could happen only because the LORD was no longer fighting for them.

The verse is in the form of a rhetorical question, which may be effective in some languages; in many, however, if not in most, a rhetorical question may be misunderstood and should thus be translated as a strong statement.

How should one chase a thousand: that is, “How could one [enemy] soldier put to rout [or chase, or put to flight] one thousand [Israelite] soldiers?” or, as a statement, “The only reason why one enemy soldier defeated one thousand Israelite soldiers was….” Good News Translation offers another good model.

Two put ten thousand to flight: or “two enemies defeated ten thousand.” This is parallel, but it heightens the sheer absurdity of the matter.

Their Rock had sold them: see verse 4; sold means that Yahweh sold (or, abandoned) them to the enemy (see Judges 2.14; 3.8; 4.2; 10.7).

The LORD had given them up: that is, he had abandoned them (see 23.15).

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• One enemy soldier defeated a thousand Israelite soldiers,
and ten thousand Israelites were defeated by two of their enemies.
This is because Yahweh, their mighty protector [or, Rock],
has abandoned them to their enemies,
and has let their enemies defeat them.

However, in some languages it may be better to reverse the order of the lines as follows:

• The Mighty God sent his people away,
the LORD abandoned them.
That is why one enemy [soldier] routed a thousand [Israelites],
two enemy soldiers put ten thousand Israelites to flight.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 33:15

The finest produce … the abundance: these are parallel terms, indicating quality and quantity. So we may say “choice fruits” (Contemporary English Version).

The ancient mountains … the everlasting hills: these are parallel expressions and mean the same thing. See Gen 49.26, also of Joseph. The Good News Translation translation will serve as a good alternative model.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 14:11-18

Eagle: this bird is quite common in the Old Testament.

Vulture: see also Lev 11.18; Psa 102.6; Pro 30.17; Lam 4.19; Hos 8.1; Zeph 2.14.

Osprey: New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “black vulture.” See also Lev 11.13.

For the birds in verse 12 Revised English Bible has “griffon-vulture, black vulture, bearded vulture.”

In verse 13 the translations go their various ways: New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Bible en français courant have three different kinds of birds instead of the two in Revised Standard Version. This is due to a problem in the Hebrew text, which does have three separate words. S.R. Driver and others maintain that the first word (raʾah) is a mistake; it is not found elsewhere in the Bible, and the third word (daʾyah) is a correction of the first one. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, however, has three birds, “the kite, the falcon, and the buzzard”; and New International Version has “the red kite, the black kite, the falcon.”

Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends that two birds be listed, “the black kite and the red kite”; translators should feel free to follow the Revised Standard Version wording, the buzzard, the kite, after their kinds, if this is appropriate in their language.

Buzzard: this bird does not appear elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Kite: see also Lev 11.14; Isa 34.15.

After their kinds: this means “of all varieties,” “of every kind there is.”

For raven in verse 14 Revised English Bible has “every kind of crow,” and Good News Translation has simply “crows.” See also Gen 8.7; Lev 11.15; 1 Kgs 17.4, 6; Psa 147.9; Pro 30.17; Job 38.41; Song 5.11; Isa 34.11; Zeph 2.14.

For the first three birds in verse 15, New International Version has “horned owl, screech owl, gull”; Revised English Bible has “desert owl, short-eared owl, long-eared owl”; and New Jerusalem Bible has for the second and third birds “screech owl, seagull.”

Ostrich: see also Lev 11.16; Job 30.29; 39.13; Isa 13.21; 34.13; 43.20; Jer 50.39; Lam 4.3; Micah 1.8.

Night hawk: see also Lev 11.16.

Sea gull: see also Lev 11.16.

Hawk: see Lev 11.18; Job 39.26; Isa 34.11.

For the three birds in verse 16, Revised English Bible has “tawny owl, screech owl, little owl”; New Jerusalem Bible has “owl, barn owl, ibis”; for the third bird New International Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “white owl.”

The terms little owl and great owl do not appear elsewhere in the Old Testament; “owl” is found in Lev 11.17; Psa 102.6; Isa 34.11, 15; Zeph 2.14.

Water hen: see also Lev 11.18. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “white owl.”

As suggested above, it may be necessary in certain languages to combine all the birds in this verse as “all kinds of owls.”

Translations differ widely in the identification of the three birds in verse 17. For pelican New Revised Standard Version and New International Version have “desert owl,” and Revised English Bible “horned owl”; for carrion vulture New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “bustard,” New Jerusalem Bible “white vulture,” and Revised English Bible and New International Version “osprey”; for cormorant Revised English Bible has “fisher owl.”

Pelican: see Lev 11.18.

Carrion vulture appears nowhere else in the Old Testament.

Cormorant appears also in Lev 11.17.

The translations being cited all agree on the four birds of verse 18, with the exception of Revised English Bible, which instead of heron has “cormorant.” (Of course the bat is not a bird, but it was considered one by the Hebrews.)

Stork: see also Lev 11.19; Psa 104.17; Jer 8.7; Zech 5.9.

Heron … hoopoe … bat: see also Lev 11.19.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 26:12

There must be a rearrangement of this verse to provide the needed information (see Good News Translation); Revised English Bible has “In the third year, the tithe-year, ….” And the very long sentence (verses 12-14) must be broken up as in Good News Translation. One way to do this is to begin a new sentence at verse 13, “Then say in the presence of the LORD your God….” This will require restructuring verse 12, for which Good News Translation also offers a good model.

With the beginning of a new section here, Moses should be reintroduced as the speaker.

Paying all the tithe of your produce: this is not a voluntary offering; it is required by the Law (see 14.28-29). The tithe is one-tenth of the whole amount. Bible en français courant provides a good model for retaining the technical term “tithe” and explaining it: “After you have finished paying the tithe, that is, one-tenth of your crops, ….” In some languages, however, there will not be a technical term for tithe, so we may simply say “give ten percent” or “give one part out of every ten parts.” In 14.22 the Israelites were commanded to give a tithe, or ten percent, every year to the LORD. It will therefore be helpful to make that clear here as Contemporary English Version does: “Every year you are to give ten percent of your harvest to the LORD, but every third year, this ten percent must be given to the poor….”

The third year, which is the year of tithing: every three years the Israelite farmer was obliged to give away one-tenth of all his crops to feed the poor and needy. The text does not say how the produce would be distributed.

The Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow: see 14.29.

Eat within your towns and be filled: they may eat as much as they wish, until they are satisfied. Your towns may also be expressed as “your towns and villages” or “every community” (Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .